How to watch

Columbo flipped the whodunit on its head: viewers watch the killer commit the crime in the opening minutes, then enjoy the cat-and-mouse game as a seemingly absent-minded detective in a raincoat closes in with just one more thing. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, the series began with two TV movie pilots, became a crown jewel of the NBC Mystery Movie wheel, and later returned on ABC for a long run of revival episodes and specials.

🕐 Release Order

Release order is the classic way to watch, following Peter Falk from the pilots to his final case.

1. Prescription: Murder (1968)
2. Ransom for a Dead Man (1971)
3. Columbo NBC Seasons 1–7 (1971–1978)
4. Mrs. Columbo (1979)
5. Columbo ABC Revival Episodes and Specials (1989–2003)
6. Columbo Likes the Nightlife (2003)

Columbo episodes are self-contained mysteries, so the story order is mostly about where to slot the pilots and the spin-off.

📖 Story Chronology

The two pilots come first, followed by the NBC seasons and the ABC revival. Mrs. Columbo is a short-lived spin-off about the lieutenant's never-seen wife and sits outside the main continuity, so it's best treated as an optional extra.

1. Prescription: Murder (1968)
2. Ransom for a Dead Man (1971)
3. Columbo NBC Seasons 1–7 (1971–1978)
4. Columbo ABC Revival Episodes and Specials (1989–2003)
5. Columbo Likes the Nightlife (2003)
6. Mrs. Columbo (1979)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Because every episode is a standalone mystery, you can dive in anywhere. Classics like Murder by the Book, Any Old Port in a Storm and Try and Catch Me are great entry points. For a full run, start with the pilots and the 1970s NBC seasons, which are widely regarded as the show's peak, then move on to the ABC revival.

🔗 Related Guides

• Murder, She Wrote Watch OrderGuide
• Monk Watch OrderGuide
• Sherlock Holmes Watch OrderGuide

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